System and method for providing real time answering service by using communication media capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing a real time answering service by using communication media capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a real time answering service system using communication media capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice, the system including: a questioner terminal for making out question information in real time and connecting to a real time answering service server; an answerer terminal for connecting to the real time answering service server in order to make out answer information about the question information inputted from the questioner terminal in real time; an evaluator terminal for making out evaluation information about the answer information inputted from the answerer terminal; and a real time answering service server for storing the question information inputted from the questioner terminal in a question information database; receiving from the answerer terminal the answer information about the question information inputted from the questioner terminal and storing the answer information in an answer information database; and evaluating the answer information through the evaluator terminal and providing the evaluated answer information to the questioner terminal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a United States National Phase Patent Applicationwhich claims priority from International Application No.PCT/KR2006/003698, filed Sep. 15, 2006 which claims priority of KoreanPatent Application No. 10-2006-0062061, filed Jul. 3, 2006.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing areal time answering service by using communication media capable oftransmitting and receiving data and voice; and, more particularly, to asystem and method for providing a real time answering service by usingcommunication media capable of transmitting and receiving data andvoice, in which, if a user asks a question through the communicationmedia, other users connected to a specific server provide answers aboutthe question in real time.

2. Related Art

Generally, as the internet service becomes more and more popular, theinternet service becomes a main means for obtaining information.

The information retrieval through the internet has a merit that userscan easily obtaining information. However, since too much informationare provided without a verification process, the reliability of theinformation cannot be assured, and it takes long time for users poor indealing with the internet service to obtain reliable information.

Further, a conventional method for obtaining information through theinternet service includes a method for obtaining information throughsearch engines or websites for providing information; and a method forobtaining information by using a question and answer bulletin board ofthe internet websites.

Among the conventional method, a “NAVER knowledge IN” website service isa representative service. Through the “NAVER knowledge IN” service,users can ask questions about all subject matters and other users answerthe questions.

The “NAVER knowledge IN” service has been provided as follows: a userconnects to a specific website and uploads a question and then otherusers connects to the specific website and answer the question.Moreover, in mobile communication terminals, the “NAVER knowledge IN”service has been provided by using a WAP (Wireless ApplicationProtocol).

However, the “NAVER knowledge IN” service has many problems in that ittakes long time for users to surf many web sites in order to searchinformation and, further, desired information can not be easily obtainedin spite of undergoing the above described processes.

Furthermore, the above described service is very inconvenient because auser has to input a variety of key words but cannot receive the answersabout their questions in real time.

That is, since the above described service is the service in which usersfind answers most similar to the answers about the their own questionsamong the questions and the answers, which have been stored previously,it has a demerit in which users can not receive the answers about theirown questions in real time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a realtime answering service by using communication media capable oftransmitting and receiving data and voice, in which, in case userstransmit questions by using communication media capable of transmittingand receiving data and voice, the users can obtain exact answers aboutthe questions quickly.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a realtime answering service system using communication media capable oftransmitting and receiving data and voice, the system including: aquestioner terminal 100 for making out question information in real timeand connecting to a real time answering service server; an answererterminal 200 for connecting to the real time answering service server inorder to make out answer information about the question informationinputted from the questioner terminal in real time; an evaluatorterminal 500 for making out evaluation information about the answerinformation inputted from the answerer terminal; and a real timeanswering service server 400 for storing the question informationinputted from the questioner terminal in a question informationdatabase; receiving from the answerer terminal the answer informationabout the question information inputted from the questioner terminal andstoring the answer information in an answer information database; andevaluating the answer information through the evaluator terminal andproviding the evaluated answer information to the questioner terminal.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided amethod for providing a real time answering service using communicationmedia capable of transmitting and receiving data and voice, the methodincluding the steps of: (a) inputting question information from aquestioner terminal connected to a real time answering service serverthrough communication media (step S100); (b) checking an allowableanswerer terminal and transmitting the question information to theallowable answerer terminal by the real time answering service server(step S104); (c) receiving answer information from the allowableanswerer terminal to which the question information is transmitted (stepS106); (d) obtaining the answer information together and making out anevaluation page by the real time answering service server (step S108);(e) re-transmitting the evaluation page to answerer terminals includingthe answerer who makes out the answer information at step S106 (stepS110); (f) evaluating answer information of other answerer except forthe answerer who makes out the answer information by the answererterminals to which the evaluation page is transmitted and transmittingthe evaluation information to the real time answering service server(step S112); and (g) providing the top-scored answer information amongthe evaluated answer information to the questioner terminal through thecorresponding communication media by the real time answering serviceserver (step S114).

As described, the questioner can receive the answer about the questionwithout being interrupted from the time and space as well as receive theanswer evaluated from the evaluator, thereby providing the highlyreliable answer.

As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, asdescribed above with reference to the corresponding illustrations,without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather thanlimiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims appendedhereto and their equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for providing a real timeanswering service in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 sets forth a schematic inner configuration diagram of a real timeanswering service server in accordance with the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 presents a schematic inner configuration diagram of a questionerterminal, an answerer terminal and an evaluator terminal in accordancewith the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 provides a flowchart depicting a method for providing a real timeanswering service by using communication media capable of transmittingand receiving data and voice.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here,it is to be noted that the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a system for providing a real timeanswering service in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, a real the answering service system includes aquestioner terminal 100 for making out a question; an answerer terminal200 for making out an answer about the question in real time; anevaluator terminal 500 for evaluating the answer in real time; and areal time answering service server 400, wherein the questioner terminal100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluator terminal 500 areconnected to the real time answering service server 400 through aninformation and communication network 300, and wherein the real timeanswering service server 400 stores the question in a questioninformation database, receives the answer about the question and storesthe answer in an answer information database, and provides the evaluatedanswer to the questioner terminal 100 in real time.

The questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluatorterminal 500 are, respectively, communication media, e.g., internetmedia, mobile communication media or voice telephone media, which arecapable of transmitting and receiving data and voice.

The questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluatorterminal 500 as the internet media can be connected to the real timeanswering service server 400 through the information and communicationnetwork 300, and can input and output information of the real timeanswering service server 400 therefrom and thereto.

The questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluatorterminal 500 provide a means for allowing a questioner, an answerer andan evaluator to access the real time answering service server 400.

For example, the questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 andthe evaluator terminal 500 may be personal computers or notebookcomputers.

Since the questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and theevaluator terminal 500 are terminal devices capable of transmitting andreceiving information data provided from the real time answering serviceserver 400, the questioner, the answerer and the evaluator can make outor use information of the real time answering service server 400 afteraccessing the real time answering service server 400 through the abovedescribed terminal devices.

Further, the answerer terminal 200 in accordance with the presentinvention may be configured by grouping an answerer group and anevaluator group, and the evaluator terminal 500 may be additionallyconfigured by separating the answerer group and the evaluator group.

Meanwhile, the questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 andthe evaluator terminal 500 as the mobile communication media include aWAP (Wireless Application Protocol) available for a wireless internetand a VM (Virtual Machine) of a mobile application type, andcommunication method thereof is similar to that of the internet mediadescribed above.

Moreover, the questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and theevaluator terminal 500 as the voice telephone media includewire/wireless telephone media.

Although the configurations of the questioner terminal 100, the answererterminal 200 and the evaluator terminal 500 are explained separately,they may be the same terminals.

Moreover, users using the questioner terminal 100 and the answererterminal 200 may be configured of the questioner group, a field decisionmaker group, the answerer group and the evaluator group.

The questioner terminal 100 and the answerer terminal 200 will beexplained in detail hereinafter with reference to FIG. 3.

The information and communication network 300 provides a path forallowing the questioner terminal 100 and the answerer terminal 200 toaccess the real time answering service server 400. In addition, theinformation and communication network 300, e.g., local area network(LAN), shares the software or database by connecting the questionerterminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the real time answeringservice server 400 with each other.

Since technical configurations related to the information andcommunication network 300 are disclosed to the ordinary person skilledin the art, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The real time answering service server 400 stores the questioninformation inputted from the questioner terminal 100 in the questioninformation database; stores the answer information about the questioninformation in the answer information database, the answer informationbeing inputted from the answerer terminal 200; and receives theevaluation information about the answer information from the evaluatorterminal 500.

Moreover, the real time answering service server 400 stores the questioninformation inputted from the questioner terminal 100; transmits theanswer information evaluated by the evaluator terminal 500 to thequestioner terminal 100; and stores therein the question information,the answer information and the evaluation information. Further, the realtime answering service server 400 includes a network interface module401, an input management module 403, a field management module 405, anoutput management module 407, a database 420 and a control module 410.

The real time answering service server 400 will be described withreference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 sets forth a schematic inner configuration diagram of the realtime answering service server 400 in accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the real time answering service server 400 storestherein the question information, the answer information and theevaluation information and transmits the answer information evaluatedfrom the evaluator terminal 500 to the questioner terminal 100. Further,the real time answering service server 400 includes a network interfacemodule 401 for executing a network function in order to exchange datawith the questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 or theevaluator terminal 500; an input management module 403 to which thequestion information or the evaluation information inputted from thenetwork interface module 401 are inputted; a field management module 405for storing therein the question information inputted from the inputmanagement module 403 in fields corresponding to the questioninformation, the question information inputted from the input managementmodule 403 being stored in the question information database; an outputmanagement module 407 for transmitting the information stored in thedatabase 420 to the questioner terminal 100 or the answerer terminal200: a database 420 in which the question information, the answerinformation and the evaluation information are stored; and a controlmodule 410 for controlling the mutual processes and the data flow amongthe above described modules, wherein the control module 410 also allowsthe question information inputted from the questioner terminal 100 to bestored in the question information database; the answer informationinputted from the answerer terminal 200 to be stored in the answerinformation database; the evaluation information inputted from theevaluation terminal 500 to be stored in the evaluation informationdatabase and user information to be stored in a user informationdatabase.

Specifically, the network interface module 401 allows the real timeanswering service server 400 to exchange the question information andthe answer information therewith through the information andcommunication network 300.

The input management module 403 receives the question informationinputted from the questioner terminal 100, the answer informationinputted from the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluation informationinputted from the evaluator terminal 500 and the control module 410stores these information in the database 420 described later.

The field management module 405 classifies the question informationinputted from the input management module 403 in fields corresponding tothe question information, wherein the fields may be politics, economics,society, entertainment or etc.

Further, the field management module 405 allows users using thequestioner terminal 100 or the answerer terminal 200 to classify theinputted question information.

If users are configured of the questioner group, a field decision makergroup, the answerer group and the evaluator group, a field of thequestion information is classified by the field decision maker group ina vote method similar to the answer evaluation method before thequestion information are exposed to the answerer group.

The database 420 stores therein the question information, the answerinformation and the evaluation information inputted from the inputmanagement module 403 and the field management module 405.

Furthermore, the database 420 includes a question information database421; an answer information database 422; an evaluation informationdatabase 423; and a user information database 424.

The question database 421 stores therein the question informationinputted from the questioner terminal 100.

The answer database 422 stores therein the answer information about thequestion information inputted from the questioner terminal 100, theanswer information being inputted from the answerer terminal 200.

The evaluation database 423 stores therein the evaluation informationabout the answer information inputted from the answerer terminal 100,the evaluation information being inputted from the evaluator terminal500.

The user information database 424 stores therein the information of thequestioner, the answerer and the evaluator.

FIG. 3 presents a schematic inner configuration diagram of thequestioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluatorterminal 500 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the questioner terminal 100, the answererterminal 200 and the evaluator terminal 500 can be connected to the realtime answering service server 400 through the information andcommunication network 300, and can input and output information of thereal time answering service server 400 therefrom and thereto.

The questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluatorterminal 500 includes, respectively, interface units 110, 210 and 510for communicating the real time answering service server 400 therewith;input units 120, 220 and 520 to which the question information, theanswer information and the evaluation information inputted from thequestioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluatorterminal 500 are inputted; storage units 130, 230 and 530 in which theuser information, the question information, the answer information andthe evaluation information inputted from the input units 120, 220 and520 are stored; output units 140, 240 and 540 for outputting to theexternal terminals, e.g., the questioner terminal 100, the answererterminal 200 or the evaluator terminal 500, the user information, thequestion information, the answer information and the evaluatorinformation stored in the storage units 130, 230 and 530; control units150, 250 and 550 for controlling each of the above described units.

The interface units 110, 210 and 510 are configured to communicateexternal terminals thereto, thereby receiving data.

The input units 120, 220 and 520 receive the question information, theanswer information and the evaluation information from the questionerterminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and the evaluator terminal 500while user (questioner, answerer and evaluator) information are inputtedto the input units 120, 220 and 520.

The storage units 130, 230 and 530 have therein the user information,the question information, the answer information and the evaluatorinformation inputted from the input units 120, 220 and 520.

The output units 140, 240 and 540 output to the external terminals theuser information, the question information, the answer information andthe evaluator information stored in the storage units 130, 230 and 530.

The control units 150, 250 and 550 control each of the units, and alsoreceive from the answerer terminal 200 the answer information about thequestion information inputted from the questioner terminal 100 andallows the answer information inputted from the answerer terminal 200 tobe evaluated by the evaluator terminal 500.

Although the questioner terminal 100, the answerer terminal 200 and theevaluator terminal 500 are separately explained, these may be the sameterminal.

FIG. 4 provides a flowchart depicting a method for providing a real timeanswering service by using a communication media capable of transmittingand receiving data and voice.

As shown in FIG. 4, the questioner terminal 100 is connected to the realtime answering service server 400 through the communication media andthe question information is inputted from the questioner terminal 100.(step S100)

At step S100, the questioner terminal 100 may be allowed to be connectedto the real time answering service server 400 via the internet media,the mobile communication media and the voice communication media.

If the questioner terminal 100 is connected to the real time answeringservice server 400 through the internet media, it is connected through acomputer terminal of the questioner. Likewise, if the questionerterminal 100 is connected to the real time answering service server 400through the mobile communication media, it is connected thorough a cellphone's short message of the questioner. Further, if the questionerterminal 100 is connected to the real time answering service server 400through the voice communication media, it is connected through aquestioner's telephone, thereby allowing the questioner to input thequestion information.

Next, the real time answering service server 400 executes a process forjudging whether the message inputted from the questioner terminal 100 isnot configurable (step S102).

If the real time answering service server 400 can not perceive theinputted message format due to the insertion of the wrong sentence orthe symbol to the question information inputted from the questionterminal 100 or the answerer terminal 200, the real time answeringservice server 400 transmits the message, that means the answerinformation are not provided because the message proves to be notconfigurable, to the questioner terminal 100 through the correspondingcommunication media (step S103). Otherwise, the process shifts to thestep S104 described later.

After the real time answering service server 400 checks an allowableanswerer terminal 200 among users connected to the real time answeringservice server 400 in order to answer the question, the question istransmitted to the allowable answerer terminal 200 (step S104).

At step S104, the questions inputted from the questioner terminal 100 isclassified in fields.

Next, the real time answering service server 400 performs a process forreceiving the answer inputted from the allowable answerer terminal 200(step S106).

After the real time answering service server 400 gets the inputtedanswers together, it makes out the evaluation page about the answers(step S108).

Further, the real time answering service server 400 re-transmits theevaluation page made out at the step S108 to other allowable answererterminals including the answerer terminal 200 which makes out the answerat step S108 (step S110).

Thereafter, answerer terminals 200 receiving the evaluation pagetransmit results of evaluating the answers made out from other answererterminals except for the answerer terminal, which make out the answerabout the question, to the real time answering service server 400 (stepS112).

When the evaluator terminal 500 evaluates the answers, the step S110 andthe step S112 may be omitted.

Finally, the real time answering service server 400 executes a processfor transmitting the top-scored answer among the other answers to thequestioner terminal 100 through the corresponding communication media(step S114).

As described the questioner can receive the answer about the questionwithout being interrupted from the time and space as well as receive theanswer evaluated from the evaluator, thereby providing the highlyreliable answer.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to thepreferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the following claims.

1. A method for providing a real time answering service usingcommunication media capable of transmitting and receiving data andvoice, the method comprising: (a) inputting, by using a processor,question information from a questioner terminal connected to a real timeanswering service server through communication media; (b) checking, byusing a processor, a plurality of allowable answerers and transmittingthe question information to the plurality of allowable answerers by thereal time answering service server; (c) receiving, by using a processor,a plurality of types of answer information from the plurality ofallowable answerers; (d) creating, by using a processor, a plurality ofevaluation pages associated with the plurality of types of answerinformation by the real time answering service server; (e) transmitting,by using a processor, the plurality of evaluation pages to the pluralityof allowable answerers; (f) evaluating, by using a processor, each ofthe plurality of types of answer information by each of the plurality ofanswerers, wherein each of the plurality of answerers is prevented fromevaluating his own answer information, transmitting the evaluatedplurality of types of answer information to the real time answeringservice server, and picking a single top-scored type of answerinformation among the evaluated plurality of types of answerinformation; and (g) transmitting the single top-scored type of answerinformation to the questioner terminal through at least one of thecommunication media by the real time answering service server.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 further comprising classifying the questioninformation inputted from the questioner terminal in correspondingfields.